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The UNEP Programme in Afghanistan

United Nations Environment Programme

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United Nations Environment ProgrammeP.O. Box 30552 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya

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e-mail: [email protected]: www.unep.org

Annual Report 2010


First published in July 2011 © 2011 United Nations Environment Programme

Design and layout: Nikki Meith

The UNEP Capacity-Building and Institutional Development for Environmental Management programme in Afghanistan has been made possible by funding from the European Commission, the Government of Finland and the Global Environment Facility.

Contents glance 6

In Memory of Linda Norgrove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Foreword: Adventures and obstacles . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2010 at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Environmental institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Environmental law and policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Sustainable development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Community-based natural resource management . 18

Protected areas management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Climate change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Environmental education and outreach . . . . . . . . . . 24

Conflict and natural resource management . . . . . . . 26

Delivering as one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Looking forward to 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

The UNEP Afghanistan team in 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

The UNEP Programme in Afghanistan

Annual Report 2010

UNEP field team member at ancient archeological site, the Red City

Annual Report 2010 3

In Memory of Linda Norgrove

The death of Linda Norgrove in Afghanistan on 8 October 2010 shocked and deeply saddened her former UNEP colleagues .

Linda, 36, died during a rescue attempt following her kidnapping in Kunar province some two weeks earlier . From 2005 to 2008, Linda was a valued member of UNEP’s programme team in Afghanistan . She left to serve in Laos as Head of the Environment Unit, a joint UNEP and UN Development Programme (UNDP) post for the Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI), before returning to Afghanistan in January in 2010 to work for an international non-governmental organization, Development Alternatives.

Among her many achievements, Linda will be remembered for making a pivotal contribution to UNEP’s work in Afghanistan. She led the development of Afghanistan’s first action plan for climate change adaptation as well as an assessment of Afghanistan’s readiness to comply with its international obligations under relevant multilateral environmental agreements .

Dedicated to improving the lives of the Afghan people, Linda is also credited with laying the foundations for UNEP’s current community-based natural resource management and protected areas programmes in Afghanistan. Linda, who was known for her generosity and integrity, won the admiration of her UNEP colleagues and many others in the humanitarian community .

Dr Asif Ali Zaidi Operations Manager Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch and former head of UNEP’s Afghanistan programme

Linda Norgrove

The UNEP programme in Afghanistan4

Introduction

UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Buddhas of Bamyan


Finding Afghan solutions to Afghan problems has been the guiding principle behind the approach of the United Nations Environment

Programme to its operations in Afghanistan, where it has had a country presence since 2002 .

Nurturing the development of environmental and natural resource management capacity is the overarching goal of UNEP’s programme activities in Afghanistan . This includes developing the capacity of key Government counterparts, local communities with whom UNEP closely works, as well as UNEP staff, in particular its national staff, many of whom are now considered as leading national experts in their respective fields.

Whilst much of UNEP’s focus is at the national level – building environmental institutions, improving technical expertise, and developing environmental management tools (such as laws and policies) – UNEP ensures that this work is symbiotically linked to its field-level projects, so that lessons learnt from piloting new, innovative approaches at the community level feed into national-level policy development, and vice-versa.

Given that Afghanistan is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, UNEP prioritizes poverty reduction, livelihood generation and protection of human health in the implementation of its environmental activities . UNEP strives to balance Afghanistan’s ecological needs with its human needs .

UNEP strives to balance Afghanistan’s ecological needs with its human needs.


Foreword

UNEP has been operational in Afghanistan since 2006 .


Afghanistan, a landlocked mountainous

country in central Asia, is rich in natural

resources and known for its natural

beauty. Its spectacular landscapes of mountains,

deserts, woodlands and forests are home to a

wide range of biodiversity. Natural resources and

associated biological diversity provide the livelihood

basis for up to 80% of the Afghan population.

Afghanistan fully recognizes the importance of the

sustainable use and management of its natural

and environmental resources for the well-being

of both present and future generations. Over the

years, ongoing conflict, internal displacement, high

rates of population growth, low levels of education,

and poverty have caused extensive degradation

of its natural and physical capital. This in turn has

limited Afghanistan’s opportunities for future growth

in an environmentally sustainable way. The rapid

loss of forest and plant cover over the past three

decades has accelerated soil erosion and land

degradation in the country, making it susceptible

to landslides, flash floods, and extreme flooding

events. Furthermore, the impacts of climate change

are likely to add to water shortages, desertification,

and future environmental degradation.

Since 2002, the United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP) with financial support

from the European Union (EU) has consistently

focused on national level capacity building

initiatives to ensure that Afghanistan has the

systematic, institutional and individual level

capacities to follow an environmentally sustainable

development path. Over the years, with UNEP’s

support, the Government of Afghanistan has

made significant achievements in its institutional

and legal frameworks. Given that UNEP’s work

is symbiotically linked to its field level projects,

lessons learnt from piloting new, innovative

approaches at the community level have fed into

national level policy development, and vice-versa.

In the coming years, UNEP will continue to support

the Government of Afghanistan to ensure that

the solid progress made over the past eight years

continues to contribute in a real and meaningful

manner to the environmental gains and livelihood of

millions of Afghans.

Wali Modaqiq

Deputy Programme Manager, (Officer-in-Charge),

UNEP Afghanistan Programme


2010 at a glance

In 2010 UNEP continued to work to deliver it’s Capacity building and Institutional Development programme.


The UNEP country programme in Afghanistan delivered a significant number of outputs across key areas during 2010 .

These included institutional capacity-building, environmental coordination, law and policy, sustainable development, environmental impact assessment and pollution control, education and outreach, community-based natural resource management (CBNRM), protected areas management, climate change, as well as conflict and natural resource management (NRM).

UNEP’s work in Afghanistan is made possible by the support of the European Commission (EC) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) . Its key beneficiaries include the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA), the overarching policy and regulatory body for environmental affairs in Afghanistan, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), which is mandated to manage Afghanistan’s key natural resources.

In addition, during 2010, UNEP also worked with provincial and district authorities and local communities across three provinces, namely Herat, Badakhshan and Bamyan. In the Bamyan province, a UNEP sub-project office and guesthouse compound was also established during the course of the year .

Key UNEP milestones achieved in 2010 include:

• Notable progress in the development and promulgation of a range of new environmental

laws, policies, regulations and standards: legislation (including the Rangeland Law and amendments to the Forest Law); policies (including the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP), National Waste Management Policy, National Pollution Control and Management Policy); regulations (Waste Management) and standards (such as the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Afghanistan, and emission standards for select industries, Vehicle Mass Emission Standards and an Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) System for Afghanistan);

• Design and implementation of 13 new commu-nity-based natural resource management (CB-NRM) projects to add to the existing 14 projects. In addition, four CBNRM projects were also

School children at the annual World Peace Day Trek, Hindu Kush


designed as a component of the Shah Foladi protected areas project. In total, 31 CBNRM proj-ects were operational by the end of 2010;

• To lay the foundation for the sustainability of CBNRM projects, written draft management plans for the existing 14 projects were initiated in 2010. These documents, a first in Afghanistan, are envisioned as model tenurial instruments . They act as a custodianship contract between

the Government and the community which is embodied in the various natural resources policies of Afghanistan;

• Significant progress was made on the development of the Shah Foladi protected area and biosphere reserve in Bamyan province, an important water tower in the greater Hindu Kush mountain range, which has excellent ecotourism potential;

Shah Foladi Protected Area, Central Highlands


• Together with Government partners solid progress was made towards the development of a national protected areas system plan, as well as the formal establishment of an Afghan Protected Areas Authority;

• Significant progress was made towards the Initial National Communication to the UNFCCC project;

• A comprehensive environmental capacity-building training programme across the 31 provincial offices of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) on a broad range of technical and institutional issues was completed;

• UNEP continued to provide ongoing support to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) for the implementation of the “Peace on Pastures” project, aimed at

resolving conflicts between nomadic and settled communities regarding access to Afghanistan’s summer rangelands in the central highlands;

• Development of a Natural Resource Management (NRM) Strategy Paper to guide the national strategy towards using community based approaches for implementing national agricultural and rural development programmes, including the reintegration of anti-Government elements .

UNEP-UNDP organized a partnership meeting to establish a village environmental council .


Environmental institutions

Regional Training Workshop for provincial staff of NEPA in Herat


Since the establishment of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) in 2005, UNEP has observed an incremental

improvement in the effectiveness and institutional maturity of the Agency, which is a critical partner and key beneficiary of its work. The central institution is functioning well overall, as are the newly established 32 provincial offices created to enhance NEPA’s national capacity and outreach .

As part of an institutional reform process, NEPA underwent a major restructuring in March 2010 with significant changes to both its organizational and staffing structures. UNEP supported this reform process by helping to clarify NEPA’s mandate, scope and annual work plans for each of NEPA’s five technical divisions.

UNEP also carried out a number of workshops and trainings throughout the year, which sought to increase the technical and managerial capacity of NEPA at a national and provincial level . Within the context of a comprehensive environmental training programme, initiated in 2009, two final regional training modules targeted at NEPA’s provincial offices were completed. In addition, over the course of the year, UNEP also conducted two three-day workshops on the Enforcement of Environmental Laws, Regulations and Procedures targeted at NEPA and MAIL staff across a number of provinces . A gender-focused technical training programme on environmental management issues was also developed specifically to help develop the capacity of NEPA’s female staff.

In 2010, UNEP also continued its ongoing support to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) . Particular progress was made towards the development and implementation of two sub-programmes for Surveillance and Planning and Community-based Natural Resource Management for the period March 2010 – March 2011 .

Finally, inter-ministerial and national coordination forums, such as the Committee for Environmental Coordination established under the Environment Law, continue to flourish. Furthermore, UNEP continues to provide ongoing support to both NEPA and MAIL for the coordination of donor Governments and implementing partners .


Environmental law and policy

Remnants of war in downtown Kabul


One of UNEP’s core competencies in Afghanistan has been the development of environmental management tools,

including laws, policies, guidelines, standards and enforcement frameworks .

In 2010 UNEP continued to support the development of environmental laws and policies . A major milestone was achieved with the approval of a National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) and National Waste Management Policy by NEPA in 2010. In addition, NEPA also commenced the drafting process for waste management regulations, including standards and guidelines on municipal, hazardous and medical waste, as well as a regulation on Noise Pollution Prevention and Control. Furthermore, UNEP supported MAIL in the finalization of the Rangeland Law, and with addressing the final amendments to the Forest Law, as suggested by the Environment and Natural Resource Commission of the Lower House of the Parliament . UNEP has also continued discussions with MAIL and NEPA regarding the development of Protected Areas regulations .

With regard to capacity-building, UNEP provided a range of trainings to NEPA and MAIL staff on environmental law, regulations and procedures in 2010. In addition, UNEP published the “Manual for Enforcement of Afghanistan’s Environmental Laws” in Dari for NEPA and MAIL staff . UNEP and MAIL also jointly drafted guidance documents aimed at developing CBNRM regulations and procedures across the country . These included: (i) Procedures

and Guidelines on Community Participation to Protect the Country’s Natural Resources; (ii) Guidance notes: Articles for Incorporation of Committees for Natural Resources Development, Management and Protection; and (iii) Initial Guidance Notes: Drafting a CBNRM Manual.

With respect to multilateral environmental agreements, UNEP continued to support NEPA’s participation in major international environmental conferences, such as the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP 16) from 29 November to 10 December 2010 in Cancun, Mexico and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Conference (COP 10) from 18 to 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan . Earlier in the year a two-day introductory workshop on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) was held for selected NEPA, MAIL and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) staff .


Sustainable development

Regional workshop participants observe how to make aluminium products in Herat province.


UNEP’s Sustainable Development programme in Afghanistan focuses on environmental impact assessment (EIA), pollution control,

human health, as well as urban development issues.

During 2010, with UNEP’s support and guidance, Afghan authorities established a national environmental standards development mechanism and began to promulgate a range of environmental quality standards . With a view to ensuring better compliance with the law, the standards were integrated within the framework of the national Environment Law .

UNEP’s efforts also focused on building NEPA’s capacity to implement the regulatory framework . This included, support to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures for the nationally significant Ayanak Copper Mine Project. In addition, trainings were provided to NEPA staff on a range of technical issues, including: EIA and pollution control procedures; ambient air quality standards – industrial and vehicle emission standards and auto inspection and maintenance systems; and targeted Geographic Information System (GIS) trainings . In a significant step, in 2010 members of the EIA Board of Experts were constituted as per the Environment Law . As part of its outreach and advocacy efforts within this area, NEPA also developed a brochure and poster on EIA procedures, which were widely distributed across provincial offices, line ministries, as well as other relevant institutions .

With the technical support of UNEP, in 2010 NEPA was able to order two roadside ambient air quality

stations in Kabul from the Government budget . It is anticipated that these environmental monitoring stations will serve as demonstration pilot projects for the use of environmental monitoring equipment across urban areas in Afghanistan .

Finally, with respect to environmental quality monitoring, UNEP also facilitated a contractual arrangement between NEPA and the Ministry of Energy and Water, the Ministry of Public Health and Kabul Polytechnic University, regarding the use of the existing laboratory facilities for environmental quality monitoring and compliance verification.


Community-based natural resource management

UNEP facilitates community participation for Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) project selection.


UNEP’s community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) programme is focused on the following fundamental

principles: (i) the piloting of innovative approaches in the implementation of national policy and legislation for CBNRM, which reflect the geographic and ethnic diversity within the country; (ii) the integration of field experiences and traditional approaches into the national policy and regulatory planning process to ensure that the regulatory framework remains dynamic and responsive to the needs of both the rural population and the natural resource base; and (iii) the development of an iterative model for CBNRM in Afghanistan that draws on lessons learnt from project implementation by UNEP and other implementing agencies in the country .

As a result of significant progress by UNEP, there were a total of 31 CBNRM operational project sites spread across Badakhshan, Herat, and Bamyan provinces by the end of 2010,. Over the course of the year, final design and implementation plans were completed across the three provinces, along with a number of field surveys and socio-economic analyses . As a result of dedicated activities designed to enhance the capacity of NEPA and MAIL, CBNRM project implementation is now being conducted by MAIL and NEPA, with UNEP providing technical support in an advisory capacity .

Given the tremendous potential of CBNRM projects to help contribute to conflict resolution and achieve food security, in 2010 UNEP worked closely with MAIL on a Natural Resource Management (NRM)

strategy paper . The paper will guide the strategy of the national Government towards using community-based approaches for implementing national programmes in the areas of forestry, rangelands, protected areas, and restoration of degraded landscapes. In addition, the NRM Strategy paper also provided inputs to the Afghan Peace and Reconciliation programme of anti-Government elements, a new Government initiative. The paper was accompanied by training programme for senior MAIL experts .


Protected areas management

Two heads of Shura for Shah Foladi Protected Area in discussion during a training programme for park planning in Bamyan


As at end 2010, the Protected Areas Division (PAD) within MAIL had developed action plans for some 30 potential conservation areas in an

ambitious programme aiming to meet the national tar-get of covering 2% of the land surface by 2015 with special conservation zones . These include a broad selection of key ecological biomes and landscapes from forest cover, wetlands, community conservation areas,1 and species conservation sites for ibex, blue sheep and snow leopards . UNEP provided direct inputs to MAIL’s Band-e-Amir, Badakhshan, and Kole-Hashmat Khan wetlands park projects.

In relation to national protected areas capacity-building in 2010, UNEP continued to provide ongo-ing administrative and technical support to MAIL and NEPA for the management of nature conserva-tion on a broad scale. In this regard, UNEP deliv-ered seminars on Protected Areas for managers and Government officials in Afghanistan, and also trained staff from NEPA’s Natural Heritage Division on the organization’s role in developing the national protected areas system . A resource centre and li-brary for the national protected areas central author-ity was established in 2010 with UNEP’s support. Books and materials for the centre were contributed by more than 10 global partners .

Furthermore, within the framework of the Conven-tion on Biological Diversity Programme of Work on Protected Areas (POWPA), UNEP continued to provide technical support to NEPA and MAIL, includ-ing inputs to annual work plans, proposal writing for individual park projects, and through capacity-building trainings. In an important achievement, a project proposal with USD 394,000 related to the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) of the

Convention on Biological Diversity was approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project is to be implemented over the next 18 months and aims to: i) enable the mainstreaming of in-situ and ex-situ biodiversity conservation within NEPA, MAIL and other relevant line-ministries; ii) create a National Biodiversity Conservation Experts Working Group; and iii) develop a biodiversity strategy. Field projects in relation to this will focus on the Shah Foladi Project in Bamyan Province.

Following approval from the Afghan Government and UNEP’s donors to develop the Shah Foladi moun-tain area in Bamyan province as the programme’s flagship protected area, significant progress was made over 2010 . Shah Foladi was selected to pilot a conservation strategy as it represents a contiguous mountain ecosystem rather than an isolated unit, and therefore provides an ideal opportunity to help build the capacity of local communities in relation to the management, science and resource conservation of the local environment .

Among the key accomplishments by MAIL over the course of the year have been the establishment and capacity-building of a Community Conservation Com-mittee (CCC); extensive community consultations in addition to the completion of field surveys, cartogra-phy, ecotourism plans and a preliminary management plan; and a draft physical plan with 11 early action projects, which were designed in cooperation with lo-cal communities . UNEP also implemented a number of physical development projects across Shah Foladi, which include projects on basic infrastructure, small-scale restoration work, hiking and trekking signs and local demonstration plots for ecotourism .

1 These are classified by the International Conservation Union (IUCN) as Category V.


Climate change

UNEP has continued to provide technical support to NEPA to increase its capacity to address the possible effects of climate change .


Following the submission of Afghanistan’s National Adaptation Plan of Action for Climate Change (NAPA) to the Secretariat

of the Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) in early 2009, NEPA has been leading efforts geared towards initiating the Initial National Communication (INC) project throughout the year. Upon request from the UNFCC, the Initial National Communication (INC) seeks to outline measures taken by Afghanistan to deal with climate change .

The INC project progressed through the year, with the operationalization of a NEPA climate change cell and the recruitment of a NEPA Climate Change Coordinator . UNEP has provided ongoing technical support and capacity-building under this umbrella . This has included the collection of information regarding greenhouse inventories in Afghanistan and support for the establishment of the National Climate Change committee . An inception workshop for the INC project will be organized in early 2011, and six thematic National Study Teams are currently being established to prepare a report under the INC project.

Following the submission of the NAPA, UNEP also supported NEPA and the Climate Change Working Group to finalize and submit a climate change adaptation project proposal for an envelope of USD 5 million to the Global Environment Fund . UNEP also supported NEPA in drafting and developing two nationally significant project proposals for German Climate Initiative funds on “Climate-friendly economy .”

In addition, UNEP continued to provide support to NEPA for its participation in regional and international meetings, including the 16th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) .


Environmental education and outreach

Environmental journalism workshop in Herat


UNEP continued to support the integration of environmental issues into the national educational curricula throughout 2010,

particularly through the development of a dedicated environmental science course at the Environment Department in the Kabul University . As part of this course, UNEP experts gave fifteen lectures for undergraduate students at the University which were considered a success overall .

National-level activities concerning environmental education and outreach were piloted at the provincial and local level. In Bamyan, practical soil, water and biodiversity conservation messages were delivered as part of a series of community training programmes for the Shah Foladi Protected Area. Together with NEPA, UNEP drafted a strategy and action plan in relation to conservation education campaigning in protected areas, as well as regional-scale projects. In addition, UNEP supported MAIL’s Education Unit to develop a package of environmental awareness-raising and outreach materials for areas of special conservation and natural resource significance. The kit, which includes posters, guides and ideas for outdoor activities focusing on nature conservation, will be finalized and disseminated by early 2011.

UNEP spearheaded a number of successful awareness-raising initiatives over the course of the year. For World Environment Day, on 5 June, in Kabul, UNEP supported NEPA and Kabul University in organizing an exhibition on reusing plastic and other materials to reduce waste material

accumulation and to promote income-generating activities. In Bamyan meanwhile, the day was celebrated with the involvement of school children, community groups’ members, and Government partners, who held a short ceremony at Khushkak Valley.

Additionally, UNEP, together the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA), co-organized a “Peace Trek” in the Shah Foladi Protected Area on the occasion of the International Day of Peace on 24 September . The event proved to be a real success with the participation of several high-profile figures, as well as community leaders and children . Given high media interest, the event was broadcast widely, both at the national and international level .

Finally, a number of environmental journalism workshops were conducted by UNEP in 2010 . In parallel UNEP continued to deliver training sessions on different environmental education and awareness-raising topics to NEPA’s Division of Public Outreach . UNEP has also helped NEPA to improve its communications strategy for dealing with both the Afghan and international media .


Conflict and natural resource management

Peace Day Trek in Bamyan


UNEP was requested by the Government of Afghanistan to assist in developing a strategy for resolution of recent conflicts

regarding access to the high altitude summer pastures in the central highlands between local settled Hazara people and the Kuchis – nomadic pastoralists of Pashtun ethnicity. The conflicts have resulted in scores of deaths, large-scale human displacement, ethnic tensions at the local and national level, and devastation of livestock and property .

Further to this request, UNEP prepared a detailed study of the problem and its root causes in 2009 . This included a technical roadmap with short, medium and long-term recommendations to address the problem. Further to these recommendations, MAIL initiated a USD 5 million community-based pasture management programme entitled Peace on Pastures – for the Central Highlands region with support from UNEP. This Peace on Pastures project aims to resolve the conflict between nomadic Kuchi and the local Hazara communities for access to and management of rangelands in Wardak province .

Over the course of the year, a number of outputs have been achieved under this project. These include:

• A detailed root cause analysis of natural resource management in Wardak province;

• Development of field guidelines, questionnaires and field surveys for community negotiation meetings

• UNEP also provided technical inputs regarding the rangeland use in this region; and

• Provision of potential technical solutions between the two communities in terms of community natural resource management to a UN Taskforce established to deal with the conflict mitigation.2

2 The UN Taskforce is composed of UNHCR, WFP, UNAMA, OCHA and was specifically convened to propose potential solutions for the current conflict between the Hazara and the Kuchi, and to prevent similar occurrence of conflict in the future


Delivering as one

UNEP PCDMB Operations Manager Asif Zaidi with OIC Wali Modaqiq and Protected Areas Expert Andrew Scanlon on field mission


The work of the United Nations aims to improve lives in Afghanistan and is carried out by a wide variety of agencies, funds,

programmes and cooperating institutions, each with its own specific mandate and goals. To be effective, these bodies need to operate as part of a whole and to “Deliver as One”. For this reason, UNEP views its participation in the joint programming of these partners as essential to the ultimate success of its programme in Afghanistan .

Following on from the previous year, UNEP continued to play a strong role under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) in Afghanistan . Together with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), UNEP co-chaired the thematic Working Group on Sustainable Livelihoods, of which natural resource management forms a key priority . Within the context of this Working Group, joint programming in selected provinces, starting with the impoverished central highlands province of Dai Kundi, is a key area of focus. In addition, UNEP collaborated with FAO in the development of a policy paper entitled “Food Security in Afghanistan and the role of sustainable natural resource management” . The paper was produced for UNDAF’s Working Group on Agriculture and Livelihoods, which will guide the One UN process on agriculture and livelihoods in Afghanistan .

Finally UNEP continued to work and engage with a number of United Nations partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United

Nations Operations Project Services (UNOPS), United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA), Mine Action Coordination Centre of Afghanistan (MACCA), and the World Food Programme (WFP) . Other important UNEP partners include the PEACE project (funded by USAID and implemented by Texas A&M University), the Wildlife Conservation Society, Ecodit, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Aga Khan Foundation, and Save the Environment Afghanistan .

UNEP facilitated national dialogue on the environment between the Afghan government and international partners


Looking forward to 2011

UNEP ensures that children are also targeted as part of its educational awareness raising and outreach activities .


Looking forward to 2011, UNEP will seek to build on its successes in Afghanistan and continue to develop model approaches and

inspiration for environmental management and protection across the country . UNEP will continue to work to meet the goals of the six pillars of its country programme in Afghanistan, through working and engaging with national and international partners, as well as with local communities .

The constantly evolving political and security situation, coupled with increased capacity amongst Government partners will necessitate a change of direction for UNEP in delivering its mandate . As the Government of Afghanistan and international donors increasingly look for the provision of support directly to Government institutions, UNEP’s role is likely to evolve to better facilitate this process . This will involve encouraging higher quality national environment and resource management proposals, planning activities and outputs. As such, programme delivery will increasingly be undertaken through regional and local mechanisms and partners . The UNEP team will continue to provide high quality advice to both MAIL and NEPA, while simultaneously engaging international partners to increase their support for environmental mainstreaming and capacity-building across other relevant line ministries and sectors .

Recognizing that the challenges of operating in Afghanistan do not always allow for ideal outcomes, UNEP is developing a programme framework together with the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

on Multilateral Environmental Agreements . This agreement includes climate change and biodiversity projects, as well as initiatives geared towards environmental consciousness and awareness-raising among Afghan and international actors . The programme will also look to establish a special focus on the role of environment and natural resources management in peacebuilding and disaster risk reduction (DRR). UNEP will concurrently seek increased collaboration with other international and local partners, and to bring additional environmental expertise within the United Nations mission, funds and programmes operating in Afghanistan . The goal of a sustainable and a peaceful future for this wonderful land, despite the challenges that it faces cannot be denied .


The UNEP Afghanistan Team in 2010Name Title Nationality

Abdul Hannan Waheed Senior Translator Afghan

Abdul Qadeer Karyab Senior Environmental Law National Programme Officer Afghan

Abdul Qader Chardiwal Caretaker Afghan

Abdul Wali Modaqiq Deputy Programme Manager and Officer in Charge Afghan

Ahmad Khalid Azim Administrative Officer Afghan

Ali Ahmad Driver Afghan

Andrew Scanlon Protected Areas Expert Irish

Assadullah Khairzad CBNRM/ PA National Programme Officer (Kabul) Afghan

Bahar Kazimi Environmental Education National Programme Officer Afghan

Belinda Bowling Afghanistan Programme Manager South African

Chaman Ali Rasuli National Program Officer Afghan

Chiranjibi Gautam EIA and Pollution Control Expert Nepalese

Ernie Wijangco CBNRM Expert Philippine

Guido Corno Environmental Policy and Climate Change Expert Italian

Hamidullah Akbary Climate Change Coordinator Afghan

Hussain Etemadi EIA/ Pollution Control National Programme Officer Afghan

M. Ajmal Nikzad Administration Officer Afghan

M. Anwar Yaqubi Driver Afghan

M. Ismail Nasir Unarmed guard Afghan

Mina Faqiri Cleaner Afghan

Mohammad Hashim Unarmed guard Afghan

Mohammad Latif Driver Afghan

Mohammad Sayeed Driver Afghan

Noor Raman Unarmed guard Afghan

Rafiullah Taeb Translator Afghan

Razia Naseri Translator Afghan

Saaida Abedzada Finance Assistant Afghan

Sardar Mohammad Driver and Office Assistant (Bamyan) Afghan

Shakeb Ahmad Office Assistant Afghan

Soudeh Jamshidian Environmental Education and Outreach Expert Iranian

Syed Wafiullah Muslim Translator Afghan

Tek Gurung Programme Officer Nepalese

Zekria Ahmadi CBNRM/ PA National Programme Officer (Bamyan) Afghan


CBNRM Community-based natural resource managementCCC Community Conservation CommitteeCOP 10 10th Conference of the Parties to Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya, October 2010COP 16 15th Conference of the Parties to UNFCCC, Cancun, December 2010DRR Disaster Risk ReductionEC European CommissionEU European UnionEIA Environmental Impact AssessmentFAO Food and Agricultural Organization of the United NationsGEF Global Environment FacilityGIS Geographic Information SystemICIMOD nternational Centre for Integrated Mountain DevelopmentINC Initial National CommunicationIUCN International Union for Conservation of NatureMACCA Mine Action Coordination Centre of AfghanistanMAIL Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and LivestockMOFA Ministry of Foreign AffairsMEA Multilateral Environmental AgreementNBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action PlanNEAP National Environmental Action PlanNEPA National Environmental Protection AgencyNRM Natural Resource ManagementOCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsPAD Protected Areas Division of Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and LivestockPEI Poverty and Environment InitiativePOWPA Programme of Work on Protected AreasSAARC South Asian Association for Regional CooperationUNAMA United Nations Assistance Mission in AfghanistanUNDAF United Nations Development Assistance FrameworkUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNEP United Nations Environment ProgrammeUNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention for Climate ChangeUNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUNOPS United Nations Office for Project ServicesUSAID United States Agency for International DevelopmentWFP World Food Programme

Acronymns

About UNEP’s Disasters and Conflicts Programme

From Kosovo to Afghanistan, Lebanon, Sudan or China, UNEP has responded to crisis situations in more than 25 countries since 1999. As the international community has shifted its focus from post-crisis intervention to crisis prevention, UNEP has expanded its operational range, adding disaster risk reduction and environmental cooperation to its core services of environmental assessment and recovery.

UNEP’s Medium Term Strategy (MTS) for 2010-2013 designates “Disasters and Conflicts” as one of the organization’s six priority areas of work. This theme will accordingly become fully integrated across the different divisional and regional offices of the organization by 2010, with a transition phase in 2009. The new UNEP Disasters and Conflicts sub-programme is comprised of three operational pillars: post-crisis environmental assessment, post-crisis environmental recovery, and risk reduction. The Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch is tasked with coordinating the theme across UNEP.

For further information on the UNEP Afghanistan programme, please contact:

Wali ModaqiqOfficer in ChargeEmail: [email protected]: +93 (0)799 131 618

www.unep.org/afghanistan


Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch

International Environment House

15 chemin des Anémones

CH-1219 Châtelaine, Geneva

Switzerland

Tel.: +41 (0)22 917 8530

Fax: +41 (0)22 917 8064

E-mail: [email protected]

www.unep.org/afghanistan

UNEP’s objective in Afghanistan

is long-term: to create a

truly lasting foundation for

environmental management and

sustainable development. In its

first six years the programme has

surprised many observers by its

record of success and lasting

commitment in the most difficult

of circumstances.

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